at I had; but now I don't know,' Yellow-cap
answered.

'There is only one inconvenience about it,' observed Ruba.

'We must always speak in order,' added Dubb.

'On pain of spoiling our metre,' put in Dubsix.

'And our rhyme,' continued Menin.

'Except Gyp,' added Atub, 'who can talk when he likes, and that is his
chief advantage.'

'It is an advantage in more ways than one,' Gyp remarked. 'Not only
can I talk when I like, but none of the others can say anything unless
all the rest are willing; because his speaking makes it necessary that
all the rest should have something to say, and that Ruba should begin.
The only laws that we recognise are metrical laws, and they, as you
know, are the strictest in the world.'

Yellow-cap felt rather bewildered; but he was glad to find that he
himself was not included in the metrical system. Some error in either
rhyme or rhythm would, he felt sure, have been the consequence.

'Let me order you a pipe and tankard,' continued Gyp, ringing the
bell. Somewhat to Yellow-cap's surprise Silvia appeared at the door in
answer to the summons. The pipe and the tankard were soon brought; and
the new-comer's health having then been drunk in ceremonious silence,
the formal part of his reception seemed to be at an end.

Meanwhile he had improved such opportunity as he had had for examining
the faces about him, and was not altogether astonished to find that
they were the originals of the many-headed portrait on the inn
signboard. Only the seventh (and central) head, the ugliest of all,
was missing; the Brethren, exclusive of himself, being only six in
number. Beer-drinking and tobacco-smoking seemed to be the business of
the meeting. Yellow-cap had never until this evening drunk anything
stronger than milk or smoked anything more dangerous than sweet-fern;
but the beer gave him courage for the tobacco, and he soon began to
feel at home.

'But can you tell me how I got here?' he inquired of Gyp, who sat
nearest him, and who, moreover, could answer without setting all the
feet running. 'The way was long and perilous and as black as pitch;
and yet, when the door was open just now, I could see right through
the house into the street, and it did not seem more than twelve
paces.'

'Did you come alone?' asked Gyp, puffing a long whiff of smoke up
towards the ceiling.

'Alone with Silvia.'

'Ah-h-h! Silvia sometimes leads the best of men astray. But you got
here at last, and that is more t